What are the advantages of artificial discs in the cervical spine?

  ( 1) Cervical artificial disc replacement can maintain near-normal cervical mobility and stability. Based on the current clinical reports in China and abroad, the range of motion of the operated segment and the entire lower cervical spine after various types of cervical artificial disc replacement is close to normal in the population.  ( 2) Cervical artificial disc replacement can improve the pressure in the adjacent intervertebral space.  ( 3) Cervical artificial disc replacement can reduce the incidence of new morbidity in the adjacent segment. The most current classical anterior cervical fusion procedure results in new morbidity in the adjacent segment in approximately one quarter of patients within 10 years of the procedure and requires additional cervical spine surgery.  ( 4) Cervical artificial disc replacement can reduce the braking time of the cervical brace and allow for an early return to normal work life. Depending on the patient’s age and the number of replaced segments, we generally recommend wearing a cervical brace for 1~2 weeks after cervical artificial disc replacement surgery, while foreign literature reports that cervical artificial disc replacement surgery is usually followed by 4~7 d of braking.